London imposes sanctions on Russia's second-richest man
Britain announced sanctions against Vladimir Potanin, Russia's second-richest man, and other members of Russian President Vladimir Putin's inner circle in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Vladimir Potanin, 61, is one of Russia's most powerful businessmen.
He is close to President Putin and in 2021 was the second richest person in Russia, with a fortune estimated at about $ 27 billion, according to Forbes magazine.
He is the owner and founder of the Interros investment fund that bought the Russian bank Rosbank after it was sold by Societe Generale Bank of which he was the majority shareholder.
"As long as Putin continues his horrific attack on Ukraine, we will use sanctions to weaken the Russian war machine," a British government spokesman said in a statement.
The new sanctions announced on Wednesday - an asset freeze and a ban on staying on British soil - also target Anna Tsilieva, a cousin of Vladimir Putin and head of the JSC Colmar Group.
Sanctions were also imposed on her husband, Sergei Tsevilev, and on the company.
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